Rights of Way Improvement Plan-English
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The Rights of Way Improvement Plan 1 The Rights of Way Improvement Plan FOREWORD This Rights of Way Improvement Plan outlines the strategies that will form the basis for management of the Vale of Glamorgan’s rights of way network over the next 10 years. The Plan is the result of many months’ work, which has included consulting with a wide range of individuals and organisations about the issues that they believed are facing the network and the steps that could be taken to improve it. Gwyn John Cabinet Member for Tourism and Leisure The Public Rights of Way Section can be contacted by: Email: [email protected] Tel: 01446 704810 Fax: 01446 704612 Mail: Public Rights of Way Section The Vale of Glamorgan Council The Dock Office Barry Docks Barry CF63 4RT Mae’r ddogfen hon ar gael hefyd yn y Gymraeg, mewn print bras, ar gryno-ddisg ac ar wefan Cyngor Bro Morgannwg This document is also available in Welsh, large print, CD and on the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s website 2 The Rights of Way Improvement Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Vale of Glamorgan Council (VOG) is required to develop and publish a Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP). The ROWIP is intended as an over-arching framework to guide the Council’s work to maintain and improve the rights of way network and to prioritise the work that is done, and provides the basis for annual work-planning. The Rights of Way (ROW) team started to prepare this ROWIP in 2003. The process that has been followed includes: widespread consultation with a variety of stakeholders (users, landowners, public sector organisations etc.); a review of relevant strategy documents; an assessment of the condition of the network; and a review of the Definitive Map. With the Local Access Forum, the Council has agreed a Vision for the Vale’s public rights of way network: “To provide, maintain and improve the network of Public Rights of Way and countryside access for everyone AND To enable and encourage increasingly convenient and responsible use and enjoyment of the Vale's countryside and coast”. All of the work will be underlain by six key principles: 1. Access for all 2. Management strategy 3. Sustainable improvements 4. Better information 5. Improved network of routes 6. Wider context The Vale is a diverse county, including a lengthy shoreline, good agricultural land and urban centres. There are approximately 550 kilometres (km) of public rights of way (PROW) in the Vale of Glamorgan. The network includes: • 498 km of footpaths • 27 km of bridleways • 27 km of restricted byways In addition, the Glamorgan Heritage Coast and county’s two country parks are very popular countryside attractions. Access and public rights of way in the Vale are managed by the Council’s rights of way team. The team is supported by the Local Access Forum, composed of volunteers with a wide variety of interests in the network. They support the officers with ideas and advice to help bring about local access improvements. 3 The Rights of Way Improvement Plan The consultation for the preparation of the ROWIP showed a wide spectrum of issues and opportunities. These included: problems with route signage, surfacing, stiles and obstructions; a lack of bridleways and routes for motorised users; the importance of accessibility for the less mobile; the need for information provision (on- and off-site) for all users; issues and options for coastal routes and access; the potential for stakeholder participation in management and improvement of the network. For the purposes of the ROWIP, three main groupings of work have been identified: • Management • Stakeholders • Information, communication and promotion Each of these main groupings has been broken down into several themes, as shown below. Management Legal work Maintenance Resourcing Volunteer involvement Stakeholders The range of users Landowners and occupiers Interest bodies Information, communication and promotion Off-site On-site For each theme, there is an overall Aim or Aims, together with a number of Actions, which we hope will help the Council to achieve these Aims. A tabular version of the Actions – the Statement of Action, provides information on staffing, costs, priorities and programming. 4 The Rights of Way Improvement Plan CONTENTS FOREWORD ................................................................................................................. 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................... 3 CONTENTS .................................................................................................................. 5 ABBREVIATIONS & GLOSSARY........................................................................................ 7 1 THE RIGHTS OF WAY IMPROVEMENT PLAN (ROWIP) ...................................... 8 1.1 Purpose Of Our Rights Of Way Improvement Plan........................................... 8 1.2 Vision................................................................................................................. 9 1.3 Principles ........................................................................................................... 9 2 INTRODUCTION TO RIGHTS OF WAY IN THE VALE .......................................... 11 2.1 A portrait of the Vale of Glamorgan ............................................................... 11 2.2 Who manages Public Rights of Way in the Vale?............................................ 12 2.3 More information about PROW ...................................................................... 13 2.4 What are Public Rights of Way? ...................................................................... 13 2.5 Public Rights of Way in the Vale...................................................................... 14 2.6 Other forms of access ..................................................................................... 16 3 THE STRATEGIC CONTEXT............................................................................... 18 3.1 The Community Strategy and the UDP............................................................ 18 3.2 Other relevant strategies ................................................................................. 19 4 THE ROWIP PROCESS ..................................................................................... 20 4.1 How have we prepared the ROWIP so far? .................................................... 20 4.2 Monitoring....................................................................................................... 20 4.3 How will we use the ROWIP? .......................................................................... 21 5 MANAGEMENT: Assessment Summary, Objectives & Proposed Actions.................. 22 5.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 22 5.2 Legal work....................................................................................................... 22 5.2.1 The Definitive Map .......................................................................................... 22 5.2.2 Modification Orders........................................................................................ 23 5.2.3 Anomalies ....................................................................................................... 23 5.2.4 Applications for Modification Orders .............................................................. 23 5.2.5 Enforcement .................................................................................................... 24 5.3 Maintenance ................................................................................................... 25 5.3.1 Adherence to National and International Legislation...................................... 25 5.3.2 Condition of the network................................................................................. 26 5.3.3 Improvement of the network............................................................................ 28 5.4 Resourcing....................................................................................................... 29 5.4.1 Where does the money come from? ............................................................... 29 5.4.2 What is the money needed for? ...................................................................... 30 5.4.3 Key issues ........................................................................................................ 30 5.5 Volunteer involvement ..................................................................................... 31 5.5.1 Issues and opportunities.................................................................................. 31 6 STAKEHOLDERS: Assessment Summary, Objectives & Proposed Actions ................. 33 6.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 33 6.2 The range of users ......................................................................................... 33 6.2.1 A network fit for a range of users? .................................................................. 33 6.2.2 Walkers ........................................................................................................... 34 6.2.3 Horse riders..................................................................................................... 34 6.2.4 Cyclists ............................................................................................................ 35 6.2.5 Motorised users ..............................................................................................